Argentina: Agrichemical Production Up 13% in First Half of 2019

The production of agrichemicals in Argentina rose 12.7% in the first six months of 2019, after having fallen 14.1% in 2018, while the imports of the sector grew of 36.1% to reach US$866 million, according to a report released recently by the consultancy Investigaciones Económicas Sectoriales (IES).

The report highlighted that the consumption of pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers increased 29.1% in the first half of 2019, mainly due to a boom in the area with wheat and corn and an improvement in the use of technology.

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The foreign trade of agrichemicals showed a decline in the values and quantities: between January and June of the current year, the export of agrichemicals reached US$99.2 million, 39.1% below US$162.9 million reported in the year 2018.

Exports in quantities reached 32,000 tons, 76.5% below the 136,000 tons seen a year ago, and continued with the negative trend that began in 2018 and continues until today.

The decline was due to glyphosate-based herbicides, which fell 57.6% and totaled US$25.9 million, compared to US$61 million in the same period of 2018.

The disparate behavior observed between shipments abroad in values and quantities is explained by the increase in their average price.

Thus, in the first six months of the year, the average export price was $3,104 per ton, 159.4% higher than the $1,197 observed in the same period of 2018.

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